DCET Trust Newsletter Summer 2025
It is a pleasure as always to take the opportunity to reflect, and to thank everyone in our Trust community for their contribution and support throughout this year. A recent highlight has been to warmly welcome three schools into the Trust from June 2025. St Benedict’s Midsomer Norton, St John’s Bath and St Mary’s Bath are all pleased to join our family of schools. Their transfer was helped by our continued strong working relationship with colleagues at Clifton Diocese Schools and Colleges team. We have regular contact through Chief Executive Officers, Chief Financial Officers and Chairs of the three multi-academy trusts in the diocese. Diocesan support was further reflected through the recent Trust reviews to offer transparent and independent assessments of each Trust’s progress and capacity for our further growth to deliver the Bishop’s vision for schools in the diocese. The review for DCET confirmed our own assessment and further stated ‘the Trust is very well led [and] has established rigorous processes to ensure that children and young people in the Trust’s schools receive the very best Catholic education’. We celebrate that but recognise there is always more to do, and we continue to drive forward together. One of the ways in which Trust Board directors keep informed about and in touch with our schools is through visits. We are grateful to all our headteachers – and their staff and governors – for letting us share in some wonderful assemblies, sports days, chaplaincy events, public speaking competitions and school walks. This also helps us at key times such as our annual Strategy Day, this year in early June. We reviewed our current Trust Strategy and drivers, reflected on recent government development on inspection, and on current and forecast demographics shifts in the school population. Our focus remains on being a strong Trust with a clear purpose to enable our children to be the best they can be, to flourish at school and beyond. On behalf of the Trust Board directors, I wish everyone a very well earned, relaxing, happy and peaceful summer break. Catherine Christie Trust Board Chair of Directors
As another academic year draws to a close, it’s a good time to reflect on what has been achieved and start to think about the future. For DCET, it was another busy year with new schools joining and more planned for the next academic year. The priority though remains to provide outstanding education for all our pupils in line with our Trust values. I have been a Director/Trustee of DCET since its inception and currently I am Chair of the People, Governance & Communications Committee of the Board. We always need to thank people for the work they do; Mrs Taylor and her team of tireless professionals, our teaching staff, our support staff and the parents of our pupils, and of course our pupils themselves. However, given my role I want to focus on thanking our volunteers, our Governors, PTAs and others, including my fellow Directors, who contribute so much of their time. Without people like you giving your time, DCET would not be the success that it is. People volunteer to support causes for many reasons. I feel education is somewhat unique, we all have to follow process, have our backgrounds checked, and undertake training, but we do so to help support the adults of the future. I find being a Director rewarding and indeed challenging, but for me it is all worthwhile due to one day a year and that is our Public Speaking Competition. This is run with the support of the The Catenian Association, and our pupils speak on Catholic Social Teaching. To see our pupils challenge themselves to speak on a topic in front of an audience, to appreciate the time they have spent with their teachers preparing and rehearsing, to learn something new myself every year (we held our 4th competition this year), to see pupils learning life skills, is to witness joyous and outstanding education in action. This one day makes all the meetings, the training, the time, worthwhile. I’m sure, my fellow volunteers, you have your own examples, please share them with others and encourage them to volunteer as well. Have a great summer. Peter Smith Director and Chair of the People, Governance & Communications Committee
Upholding Our Values: A Message from the Chair of the Ethos and Standards Committee As Chair of the Ethos and Standards Committee, I’d like to share a brief update on how we are working to champion the Catholic ethos, education standards and high expectations that underpin our Trust’s success. Our role is to ensure that every decision we make as a Trust reflects our shared vision—one rooted in integrity, respect and ambition for all. This year, we’ve focused on ensuring that a strong, consistent culture across our schools supports the development of a broad curriculum for all pupils. We’ve monitored the quality of education our Trust is providing, and we’ve looked to ensure that equality and diversity runs through all that we do. We aim to support all in our Trust to ensure every child feels supported, challenged, and inspired. Some of the highlights of the year have been: Schools performed well in recent Catholic Life and RE inspections. Training is being planned to improve prayer life and teaching about other religions. Our strengths, for example in reading and maths are being promulgated across the Trust. New schemes are supporting teacher development and pupil progress. Several schools were inspected by Ofsted this year. Many strengths were identified, including in leadership and teaching. Where needed, support has been put in place to help schools improve quickly. Strong safeguarding systems are in place and recognised by Ofsted. We're improving training and access to records across schools. Looking ahead, we are planning to work more closely with our schools to ensure young people have a stronger voice in shaping their school environment. We also want to celebrate best practice— sharing success stories across our Trust so that every school can benefit from the brilliant work happening within our community. Thank you to all staff, pupils, and families who continue to contribute to the positive culture we’re building. Together, we can do more than maintain standards — we can raise them. Kind regards, Chris Jarvis Chair, Ethos and Standards Committee
It has been an incredibly busy year in the Trust. It has been lovely to welcome our three new schools into the Trust, and we now have circa 2,400 pupils and 400 staff. You will see below all the amazing events and work that has been happening across our schools, and we are so proud of all that they have achieved. This term we have been reviewing our existing Strategic Plan and developing our next plan for 20252028. Called to Flourish in Faith and Hope Flourishing: Pupils, Adults, Schools, and Trust Our next strategy aligns with the Catholic Education Service (CES) document Called to Flourish in Faith and Hope. This strategy reflects our commitment to the belief that every individual is created in the image of God and is called to live life to the fullest. Flourishing is not merely an individual pursuit but a shared mission. It defines the daily life of our schools and encompasses the holistic development of children, adults, and the wider school community. The document outlines five key realms of flourishing: 1. Mission (Our Purpose) Catholic education enables individuals to discern and embrace the unique purpose God has for them. Our schools are places where all members of the community are supported in discovering and following this divine calling. A full and meaningful life—both now and in the future—emerges from a foundation of trust in God and mutual support. 2. Formation (Our Learning) Formation involves growing to reflect Christ in thought, feeling, and action. It is a lifelong journey of learning and personal development for all members of our Trust. Adults play a vital role in nurturing the growth of others while also engaging in their own continuous development. Our schools are communities where everyone learns and improves together. 3. Communion (Our Relationships) Human flourishing is rooted in connection and community. Our Catholic schools foster environments where faith is shared, relationships are nurtured, and celebrations are communal. This sense of belonging strengthens unity and supports the growth of every individual. 4. Gifts (Our Resources) Each member of our Trust possesses unique talents and abilities. These gifts are to be recognised, encouraged, and used in service of the wider community. We are committed to providing the necessary resources—time, support, and tools—to help individuals grow and contribute meaningfully. Our Trust is a place where everyone’s strengths are valued and celebrated. 5. Fruitfulness (Our Wellbeing) A flourishing life is marked by virtues such as kindness, joy, peace, and patience. These qualities are deeply rooted in our Catholic identity. Our Trust is dedicated to nurturing these virtues in both children and staff, enabling them to thrive and positively impact others.
Our Strategic Plan for 2025–2028 sets out what we want to achieve and how we plan to get there. It’s shaped by the five key areas of flourishing and guided by the Trust values. I would also like to thank everybody in our Trust community for all their hard work and commitment to providing the best care and provision for all our pupils delivering excellent education for all. Helen Taylor Chief Executive Officer
Christ the King It is difficult to believe a whole year has passed already, and yet, on reflection, there has been so much crammed into life here at Christ the King since September that a school year scarcely seems long enough! It has been joyous to see the children continue to nurture community relationships with our vulnerable neighbours in the residential care home: from singing carols and buying gifts in the Autumn, to visiting residents with flowers and company in the summer, I am so proud of the love, respect and stewardship shown by our pupils. This is further exemplified by our youngest children in the school collecting items for the Food Bank as part of their Pilgrims of Hope journey and our whole school fundraising on VE Day-80 for The Rawthey Trust – a military mental health charity. For all of our staff and pupils, the summer term has seen us renewing our connection with God and deepening our Christian Values through a ‘chaplaincy for all’ approach themed on the jubilee year; our SEN pupils in the Resource Base especially love visiting the school oratory to gather for prayer. As a school, we are continuing to develop our curriculum to help foster curiosity and it’s been wonderful to see our pupils all enjoying experiences beyond the school gates this term, with Maple and Birch taking a trip to Marwell and Oak and Willow visiting Longleat, the children showed great enthusiasm and curiosity. Extra adventures ensued when the Longleat coach was stuck on the A303 for several hours due to an emergency, all wouldn’t have been forgiven if the children had been extra tired and grumpy but they instead all returned with happy smiles on their faces! Our Resource Base also had visits from a cookery school to help develop them as lifelong learners in all aspects of life. Of course, Year 6 attended the annual schools’ Mass, and this is one of the most special and memorable moments for our pupils, with one of our children particularly starstruck about getting to meet Bishop Bosco. As we see out the final weeks of term we especially look forward to our end of year production – Alice in Wonderland.
The summer term joy does come with a bittersweet taste, however, as we bid farewell to our Year 6 pupils, with a special leavers assembly held at Antrobus House. These children have seen the most change over their 7 years here at Christ the King and have necessarily needed to develop the most resilience over time. Doubtless they will continue to go on to realise their future potential and I am sure you join me in wishing them luck and hope that they will continue to flourish in their respective new schools. We also sadly bid farewell to one of our Resource Base teachers, Mr Walker. Mr Walker has been a valued part of our school family for nearly 5 years, and we wish him every success and happiness as he embarks on a new adventure working with secondary aged SEND children. As we all look forward to the rest and rejuvenation of the summer break, we pray for the health and safety of all in our school and Trust family, may we be open to joy, triumphant in challenges and continue to learn and grow through the love of Jesus.
Corpus Christi In October, we continued our charitable work through raising money for Weston Hospice and donating to the Weston Foodbank. These two charities are dear to our hearts at Corpus Christi. We held a ‘Blue for You’ cake sale, raising around £150. Zoe and Kirsty, from the Hospice, came into school before the event and took an assembly to illustrate everything they do, in a very child friendly manner. Corpus Christi is the number one school in Weston for supporting all the fantastic work that they do. Everyone at the school also had the opportunity to listen to members of the Bristol Ensemble playing their instruments and learning about orchestras. The children have also been lucky to see live acting from two travelling theatre companies. One was a treat from the FFA and the other a ‘freebie’ from a company who were in the area. In January, Harry Cadwallader, a history buff, came into school in January to support Years 1, 2, 3 and 4 in their history lessons. Years 1 and 2 experienced what life was like in a Victorian classroom and Year 3 and 4 learnt more about life in Ancient Egypt. They all thoroughly enjoyed themselves, with Harry bringing their history learning to life.
Year 5 had an amazing opportunity to spend time with Performing Arts students from Weston College. They planned and prepared workshops for the children based around the ‘Six Musical’. The musical is all about the wives of Henry VIII. This took place over two Friday mornings, with the action taking place in the classroom and the hall. It resulted in a final performance from both the college students and Year 5 pupils. The children enjoyed this experience working with the Weston College students. Everyone welcomed the RSPCA into school so all the children could learn about their work. On this occasion EYFS and Yrs 1-3 learnt about pets and how to look after and care for them, whilst Yrs 4-6 learnt about hedgehogs. Both workshops included a craft activity to support the children’s learning. We have also been busy on the sporting front, with the girls’ football team playing in a competition against 2 other local schools. They drew the first game 1-1 and then won their second 4-1. They then had to hang on for the result of the final game, which ended 1-0. This meant Corpus Christi qualified for the next round through scoring more goals. Mrs Richards took a group of children to Weston Playhouse to take part in a dance extravaganza. They spent the afternoon practising and rehearsing on the stage before performing in front of a packed audience in the evening. They have spent months religiously practising after school to perfect two dances which they brilliantly performed on the large Playhouse stage. This has been a fantastic opportunity and experience for the children which I know they have thoroughly enjoyed. The group were a credit to Corpus Christi school. A big thank you goes to Mrs Richards! In Terms 5 and 6 there have been lots of school trips and events. Luckily, we managed to fit in Sports Day over 2 days due to the weather, with everyone enjoying a picnic lunch on field opposite the school. Presently, the Year 6s are rehearsing for their end of year production of Joseph. EYFS, Yrs 1 and 2 visited Noah’s Ark to see all the animals. Year 5 have visited Taunton Museum to learn about the Tudors and spent the afternoon and early evening at St Bede’s in a musical extravaganza. Year 6 visited the Earth Science centre, exploring the beauty of the natural world, which included pond dipping. They also had a trip on a bus, through a First Bus workshop. They learned how to find the bus they needed using an app; bus etiquette and visited the bus depot to see the new electric bus charging stations. They also enjoyed Leavers’ Mass at the Cathedral. All the KS 2 classes have visited the Weston Islamic Centre to build relationships with our Muslim friends and learn more about their religion. To finish the year the Friends and Family Association have organised for the whole school to visit Puxton Park.
Our Lady of Mount Carmel A Joyful Year of Learning, Faith and Community at Our Lady of Mount Carmel Catholic Primary School As we come to the end of the school year, we reflect with pride and gratitude on all that our children have experienced and achieved at Our Lady of Mount Carmel. It has been a year full of learning, laughter, faith and friendship. We began the summer term with the Crowning of Mary—a treasured moment in our school calendar. Children, staff and parishioners gathered in prayer and song to honour Our Lady, placing her at the centre of school life. Across the year, pupils have embraced the world around them through a wide variety of trips and hands-on experiences. Year 6’s residential to Hooke Court was a highlight, full of outdoor learning and team-building. Children also visited Gore Farm with their families as part of our Military Monday group, enjoying a special day on the land meeting animals and playing in the woods. Other exciting adventures included water testing at a local reservoir, exploring the coast at West Bay, a historical Tudor Day, and sustainability workshops at Carymoor. Some classes visited The Newt, while younger pupils explored our local area and took part in life drawing in a garden, developing close observation and creativity. A key moment this year was our “Disconnect to Reconnect” Day, when we turned off all electricity to help children reflect on how we live and care for our planet. This supported our continuing journey towards the CAFOD LiveSimply Award, along with fundraising for causes like Marvellous Moo Cow for CAFOD. We were delighted to welcome Tom Power -— a former pupil and now the youngest Councillor in Somerset—back to school. His visit was both inspiring and a reminder of the values our pupils carry with them. Our sense of community remained strong as we hosted afternoon tea with parishioners, sharing their learning, laughter, memories of the school and homemade cake!
We are incredibly proud of our successful Ofsted and Section 48 inspections, which praised our school’s inclusive ethos, strong values, and the excellent behaviour of our children. The Year 6 Leavers were delighted to meet with Bishop Bosco at the Leavers Mass. Our families and wider community have played a huge role this year. The PTFA has been a constant source of support, running fantastic events including school discos, a bustling Christmas Fair, and a joyful Summer Fair. Parents were welcomed into classrooms during our curriculum showcase mornings, and our fortnightly celebration assemblies allowed the whole school to come together and recognise achievements large and small. We have raised funds for Cafod’s Marvellous Moo Cow and our Year 6 team proudly took part in the Catenian Speaking Competition. As we close the chapter on this school year, we celebrate all we have learned, shared and enjoyed. Our Lady’s continues to grow as a school full of kindness, faith and opportunity—and we look forward with excitement to what next year will bring.
St Benedict’s Celebrating a Year of Sparkle, Success, and Wellbeing! This year has been full of growth, joy, and achievement at our school. From launching exciting new initiatives to celebrating success in learning, faith, and wellbeing, our children have truly sparkled. Gem Powers: Helping Learners Shine Our Gem Powers have supported children to grow as confident, independent learners. Each gem reflects a learning behaviour that builds metacognition: • Ruby – Kindness • Diamond –Problem-solving and Independence • Emerald – Resilience • Sapphire – Focus and Self-regulation • Pearl - Communication of ideas and knowledge • Topaz – Collaboration and Team work Pupils have embraced this language, helping them reflect, set goals, and support one another.
Phonics and Writing Success We’re incredibly proud to share that 100% of our Year 1 pupils passed the national phonics screening check! This reflects the strength of our Floppy’s Phonics programme. Our writing has flourished thanks to The Write Stuff. Children are more confident and creative, producing impressive work across many genres— and they genuinely love writing! Wellbeing Champions Our Wellbeing Champions promoted mental health using the Somerset Four Pillars: Belonging, Lifestyle, Learning, and Emotional Health. As part of Children’s Mental Health Week, they introduced Regulation Stations to each classroom and created videos showing how to use them. With support from Zones of Regulation and Gem Powers, children have become more reflective and emotionally aware. Chaplaincy: Faith in Action Our Chaplaincy Team has led the school through the Jubilee Year of Hope, guiding the creation of our beautiful Door of Hope, full of children’s dreams for the future. They also planned our St Benedict’s Day Pilgrimage to St Benedict’s Church and Downside Abbey, deepening our spiritual journey. As part of Lent, they led the Big Lent Walk, helping the whole school walk a combined 363 miles and raise £150 for CAFOD—a wonderful act of service. They’ve also led child-led worship, encouraging every child to take part in prayer and reflection.
Careers Week: Inspiring the Future This year’s Careers Week was a great success! We were delighted to welcome our local MP, Anna Sabine, and a visitor from the House of Lords, Baroness Finlay of Llandaff, who shared their journeys. Children met a personal trainer, band manager, police officers, and explored engineering with Bridges Ltd, a local company who gave tours and hands-on insights. Pupils were truly inspired! A Year of Discovery and Wonder We’ve celebrated so much together—from Science Week experiments to World Book Day fun and visits from exciting authors. A special highlight was hatching school chicks, helping children learn about life cycles and inspiring writing. From joyful readers and writers to thoughtful leaders and future stars, our children have shone brightly this year. We’re so proud of all they’ve achieved—and we can’t wait for what’s next!
St Edmund’s This year has been a time of significant change and numerous opportunities for development within our school community. We have received steadfast support from the Trust and our Local Governing Committee, enabling us to implement substantial improvements throughout the school. This year, we introduced high-quality teaching strategies and enhanced our curriculum offerings to foster academic achievement. In collaboration with parents and children, we developed and implemented new policies aimed at increasing engagement and establishing consistency in our approach to behaviour management. The staff members have dedicated themselves to creating a supportive and inclusive environment for all children, resulting in a positive impact on our community. Moreover, we have successfully hosted events that have united families and cultivated a strong sense of school spirit. We take particular pride in our Year 6 children, who won the Public Speaking competition, providing an extraordinary opportunity for all participants. Throughout the year, our Chaplaincy team has worked diligently towards achieving the Life to the Full certificate through a series of initiatives, including cake sales, reindeer runs, numbers day, food collections, book swaps, art competitions, the Big Lent Walk, and the Pentecost Party. Our committed ‘Friends of St. Edmund’s’ parent support group has continually enriched the experiences of all children at St. Edmund’s by organizing our Christmas Fair, St. Edmund’s Wonka Bars for World Book Day, the Summer Fair, and school discos.
One of the most memorable highlights this year was witnessing the whole school dressed as evacuees, performing ‘Somewhere over the Rainbow’ during our VE Day picnic on the school grounds. Our community have worked diligently to understand and embody our Trust Values and Mission, demonstrating proficiency in British Sign Language related to these values and articulating their significance and impact. At St. Edmund's, we are blessed to be surrounded by beautiful grounds that enhance the children’s educational experience. We continue to explore opportunities to develop our Forest School area and have begun the cultivation of an apple orchard with support from our local community. As we approach the conclusion of the academic year, we anticipate the new challenges and adventures that the upcoming academic year will present with hope. In conclusion, I would like to share a quote from one of our children’s favourite hymns: ‘Jesus be my centre, be my hope, be my song’. We send our best wishes for a restful summer to everyone in our extended DCET family.
St Gildas This year began with a particularly challenging start as we welcomed OFSTED early in the autumn term. Although the timing was demanding, the visit proved to be an invaluable opportunity to step back and reflect on where we were in our curriculum development. It gave us the impetus to review our progress in detail, consider our strengths, and identify areas that required more focused work. As a result, we were able to clarify our priorities and set clear objectives for what needed to be embedded or adapted over the course of the year. Since then, we have made substantial strides, particularly in strengthening the wider curriculum. Subject leaders have been instrumental in this progress. Through targeted training and reflection, they now have a far clearer understanding of which aspects of teaching are particularly strong within their subject areas and where further support and development are needed. This has allowed us to make more informed decisions about planning, resourcing, and professional development. Our teachers and support staff have responded with enthusiasm and commitment, which has been central to the improvements we have seen. Collaboration has been a consistent theme of this year. Staff have worked together in a collaborative and supportive way, sharing best practices and solving challenges as a team. This spirit of cooperation has extended beyond the classroom and positively influenced routines throughout the school. For example, lunchtimes have been notably improved. Clearer expectations and shared approaches have created a more settled, calm environment, benefitting both pupils and staff. One of the most significant developments has been the increased independence and responsibility shown by our Key Stage 1 children. With encouragement and support, they have become more confident in organising themselves at lunchtime, collecting their food, and taking responsibility for clearing away once they have finished. This not only supports their personal development but also helps embed positive routines that contribute to the smooth running of the whole school day.
Alongside curriculum improvements, we have also focused on enriching our provision for personal development. Mrs Rowland and Miss Cox have taken on key leadership roles in this area by guiding the Chaplaincy Team and the School Council. Under their leadership, these pupil groups have been given meaningful opportunities to contribute ideas, influence decisions, and take action both within the school and in the wider community. The children involved have developed confidence, a sense of purpose, and a deeper understanding of their role as active citizens. Looking back over these months, it is clear that while the year started with challenges, it has become a period of significant growth. The early OFSTED visit ultimately served as a catalyst for renewed focus and energy. Our wider curriculum is now in a stronger position, our staff have developed greater clarity and shared purpose, and our children are flourishing in their personal development. We are proud of the progress made so far and look forward to building on these foundations in the months ahead under the new leadership of Mrs Bartley.
St John’s It’s been another busy year at St. John’s and there have been lots of highlights we would like to share with you. In September, we celebrated our school’s namesake St. John with a day of celebration. We held assembly where we found out about his life and there were a range of activities completed across the school from art to PowerPoint presentations. In October, we had our annual Film Night, our amazing PTA are currently raising money to renovate our Prayer Garden and they organise plenty of events throughout the year. Film Night is always popular and the children love coming to school in the dark, eating lots of sweets and enjoying a film in their class. December is always a busy month in schools and this was no different at St. John’s, we had two Nativity performances from our Reception and Year 1/2 classes who did an incredible job of retelling the special story of Jesus’ birth. We also had our Christingle service, Christmas parties in our classes and our every popular Christmas dinner with plenty of festive jumpers on show! We were very luck to welcome Bishop Bosco to our school in February. The children were incredibly excited to meet this Bishop who has a strong connection with the school as he attended St. John’s as a child! At the beginning of March, our Year 3s,4s and 5s went on the pilgrimage to Glastonbury, this was a great day out with children walking up the Tor and visiting the Chalice Well gardens. On the same week as our Glastonbury trip, our Year 6s went on their five-day residential to Skern Lodge in Appledore, Devon. This is always a brilliant trip where lots of memories are made. The children enjoyed a range of outdoor activities with particular favourites being: surfing, climbing and camp fire building. At the end of the month, our Year 5s went on their residential to Kilve Court. A three-night trip, the children also got to meet other Year 5 children from our Camino partnership of schools and particular favourite activities were grass sledging, abseiling and archery. The end of the month saw our Year 3/4s complete their Spring production of ‘Hoodwinked’ a Robin Hood play. They really did raise the roof with some incredible acting and songs.
In June, Reception went on their trip to Bath City Farm where they were able to see lots of different animals. Year 1/2 also had an animal related trip as they went to the Bristol Zoo project. June is another busy month as we also held our Sport’s Day at St. Gregory’s Catholic College, we were lucky with the weather and the children enjoyed lots of classic Sport’s Day games such as the three-legged and egg and spoon race. We finished the day with the sprint finals and a big well done to St. Patrick’s House for winning the event! As we move into July, we still have a number of events to look forward to. We have our Summer Fair which is always a real highlight on the PTA calendar. Our Year 5/6s will be performing their end of year production: Matilda which they have been rehearsing hard for and we finish the year with our End of Year Mass in St. Alphege’s church.
St Joseph & St Teresa’s Nightingale Class: In Nightingale Class this year we have learnt a lot, made new friends, discovered more about our world and had lots of fun. As a Catholic school with values woven through our curriculum, the children have learnt and played with our core values at the forefront of everything we do and have enjoyed discussing feelings, achievements and the wonderful world around them through stories, songs, movement, play and sometimes getting a bit messy at Forest School!
Einstein Class Einstein Class (Year 1 and 2) have enjoyed a fantastic year of learning, filled with exciting experiences and hands-on exploration! As part of our local history topic, we took a walk around Wells to discover its rich heritage and historical landmarks. We also welcomed Danielle Haskings, Head of Sustainability at MCSMC Building Services, who inspired us with a talk on sustainable living and her job involving eco-friendly design. A major highlight was our trip to the Roman Villa at The Newt in Somerset, where we stepped into Roman life through immersive exhibits and reconstructed rooms. These experiences have deepened our understanding and made learning truly memorable this year. Shakespeare Class This year has been packed with enriching experiences in Shakespeare Class! Our class was thrilled to take part in a violin project funded by Wells Cathedral School, with weekly lessons culminating in a wonderful performance for parents. During Enrichment Week, we worked with artist Fiona Campbell in a creative wire workshop. We also enjoyed a hands-on history session with artefacts from The Bishop's Palace, including 700-year-old tiles. A highlight of the year was our trip to Cheddar Gorge and Caves, where we explored Gough’s and Cox’s caves, learned about cave formations, visited the Museum of Pre-History, and climbed Jacob’s Ladder and the Lookout Tower for breath-taking views.
Rosa Parks Class Rosa Parks Class have had an amazing time this year! We cooked delicious Bolognese sauce, learning new skills in the kitchen. Year 5 went on an exciting residential trip to Skern Lodge, building teamwork, confidence, and resilience. During careers events, we built impressive towers and worked together brilliantly. In science, we investigated how liquids like Coke and orange juice can rot teeth, tried (and struggled!) to make ice cream, and explored how heating solids turns them into liquids. It’s been a fun, hands-on term full of learning, creativity, and adventure. Well done to everyone for their fantastic enthusiasm and hard work! Malala Class As often the case with a Y5/6 class, the children grow in maturity, overcome challenges and develop into wonderful young people who are ready for the next step in their educational journey. At St Joseph and St Teresa’s, Malala class have enjoyed a wonderful year which has included many key events such as public speaking competitions, sporting events at local secondary schools, arts week however without question, our residential trip to Skern Lodge was a stand-out memory for all children. The pupils put the school’s values into action, showing resilience and curiosity throughout all of the outdoor activities, respect and love to each other and all of the staff at the centre, as well as stewardship and forgiveness when looking after the wellbeing of their friends. It has been a joy to work with this lovely group of children throughout the year.
St Joseph’s, Bridgwater Curriculum We have started to use new schemes of work across many curriculum areas. The staff and children have really enjoyed learning new things and sharing this knowledge and enjoyment with families. We share successes through our weekly newsletter. Science and Geography work in Year 2 Year 6 Electricity topic Year 3 growing plants
We took part in Place2Be Mental Health week. Children explored emotions through a range of different activities. Year 3 practised the ‘Testudo’ Formation which was used by the Roman armies during battles. When they were under attack they held their shields together to protect themselves. Year 5 monoprinting as part of an art & design project on architecture.
Fundraising & supporting the local community During our Children in Need fundraising the children had a great time joining in with the sporting challenges and decorating Pudsey. Children brought in coins to decorate a large Pudsey. We raised £240. During our Harvest celebrations we collected food for our local foodbank. Our families were extremely generous. We celebrated with a Harvest Assembly. Each class shared something they had been learning in class to think about Harvest time. The hall was so full of family members they had to sit on the stage! We supported local people by recycling our old coats at the local library.
We held collections during all of our Christmas performances. Donations given to chosen charities were as follows: EYFS and KS1 Nativities, we held collections to be split between Cancer Research UK and HCPT (Parishioner Margaret’s local charity). We raised an amazing £200; this will be split between each charity giving them £100 each. KS2 chose the charity RAFT and raised an amazing £200. Rosary club Sporting Events We have taken part in numerous sporting events throughout the year. Football – Y5&6 Gymnastics – Y3&4 We collaborated with Host which is the official accommodation partner for EDF and Hinkley Point. We were asked to create bunting which would be used during Christmas parties. The children didn’t disappoint and created some wonderful, thoughtful designs. During the Summer term we have created flowers to be used for summer celebrations. We have set up Rosary clubs. These have been highly popular with around 20/30 children attending each day during the months of Mary. All children attending have been given a set of Rosary beads to continue this at home.
Futsal – Y5&6 Cross Country – Y3&4 Netball – Y6 Gymnastics – Y2 Tag Rugby – Y5&6 Area Sports champions – Y5&6
Visitors Year 6 were visited by Sally and Rhiannon from Fuse Outdoor Arts. The children were taught how to make beautiful lanterns made of withy which will be used to decorate King’s square during the ‘Bridgwater Twilight’ festival in the buildup to the Carnival. Art Road Trip - Seed Sedgemoor Years 3, 4 and 5 have loved working with this group today. They have explored paintings from the National Gallery and then explored painting themselves. World Book Day We were joined by Andrew Powell-Thomas, a local author who told us all about being a successful author. He also worked with each class to support the children in recognising that they are also authors when they publish their work. Sports day
St Joseph’s held their annual sports day on Friday 4th July on a beautiful sunny day. In the morning KS1 took to the racing track to compete in sprints, the hoop race, the bat and bean bag race, and the relays. KS2 then took to the track in the afternoon to take part in the cross country, sprints, skipping, obstacle and relays. Everyone ran with great enthusiasm for their houses producing some very competitive races and showing great sportsmanship throughout. It was also great to see huge amounts of resilience, particularly in the KS2 cross country races. A special mention must go to the Year 5 boys who all chose to run the cross-country race – well done boys! The children have also been taking part in field events during their PE lessons (standing long jump, howler throw and seated throw) and all of these results went towards the final totals.
St Joseph’s, Burnham-on-sea As we come to the end of another exciting and successful year at St Joseph’s, I want to take a moment to reflect on the many achievements and memorable moments that have made this year so special. Our pupils have shown incredible resilience, creativity, and enthusiasm throughout the year. From the very youngest in Nursery and Reception to our confident Year 6 leavers, every child has made progress to be proud of—academically, socially, and emotionally. Our Year 6 pupils completed their SATs with determination and maturity, and we are incredibly proud of them the positive attitudes they showed throughout. They had a great week on their residential at Greatwood showing resilience and determination throughout a range of challenging activities. They also represented us fantastically at the DCET Catenian public speaking competition. We celebrated as a school and parish community over the Christmas period with a variety of nativity productions, reminding us of the true meaning of this importance story. Our Catholic Life and mission has been lived out through our Jubilee Year celebrations, St Joseph’s Day, Stations of the Cross and the Crowning of Mary to name just a few. Our sports teams represented the school brilliantly in local tournaments, showing great sportsmanship and team spirit. Competing across a range of sports, we have even been overall champions, with many teams going to represent at county level. Our links with our local PCSO have enable us to engage in the Mini-Police programme and support the children in keeping safe online. Our Nursery celebrated its 30th Birthday with a special celebration event, welcoming previous staff and parents. We enjoyed a range of educational visits and enrichment days, from Museum trips and History workshops to World Book Day celebrations and cultural festivals. We have engaged with author visits to support our love of reading. We were also lucky to have a visiting theatre production kindly paid for by our PTA and our whole school trip to the cinema. Pupils have also been able to engage in Forest school, Life skills and Chat and Craft groups to enhance their learning and social skills. The National gallery workshops were a fantastic way for our children to develop their
knowledge and understanding of artistic techniques. The “On your bike” sessions helped our children learn how to maintain their bikes and keep them road safe! Our creative curriculum has been enhanced by live musical performances this year ranging from the Avalon recorder ensemble to a local musician and her saxophone and the Somerset brass group. Finally, we are really proud of our Ofsted visit which praised all the above opportunities, saying that “pupils are encouraged to be lifelong learners and fulfil their potential at St Joseph’s. We are excited to continue on our journey next year and all that this brings.
St Louis At St Louis, our school mission is to ‘love, wonder and achieve together.’ This year at St Louis this mission statement has been brought to life in so many different ways, from academic achievements to the Catholic life of our school to successful inspections – we have seen our vision lived out by everyone! Throughout the year, we have shown our commitment to LOVE through the acts we have shown others. At Lent, each class raised money for a charity of their choice. The children really enjoyed the events planned and learnt the impact that even a small act can have on others. Our neighbours at Rossetti House Residential Care Home have also been a focus of the love we share with others, and we were thrilled to be able to help make someone’s wish come true when they asked to read a story to the children on World Book Day! Curriculum has been a focus at St Louis throughout the year. This is where our WONDER stems from and we encourage enthusiasm and excitement in everything we do. There have been trips galore from Tudor days to residentials. Each child has embraced the challenges and wonder each opportunity brings. A highlight for our children was our STEM week where we put wonder to the test through science experiments, science boffin shows and a range of professionals who work in STEM. This week ignited a real passion and excitement for wonder and all things beyond the classroom. 2024-25 has been a year of ACHIEVEments at St Louis. This is all thanks to the hard work and dedication of our entire school community. From amazing SATs results and great progress across the year to earning over 10,000 house points as a school – there has been no end to the brilliant things achieved. The year has also been a busy one for inspections. We are really thrilled that our hard work has been recognised by Ofsted and the Catholic Schools Inspection. A special well done to our Chaplaincy Team for being awarded the Live Simply Award too! None of this year’s incredible achievements would have been possible without each other. The TOGETHERness shown is what makes St Louis a special place to be! Some amazing examples of the togetherness on display are through recent sports events and Frome festivals along with performances that light up the hall. Our pupil groups have also shown togetherness leading and pioneering democracy and change in our school and wider community when visiting Frome Town Council as well as running our Chapel Club for the school. Everyone has a part to play and is celebrated for this.
Now that we are reaching the end of the school year, we are preparing to say goodbye to our Year 6 children and some staff members. We know that as they move on from St Louis that they will be carrying our mission with them and share a little of St Louis with others on their next adventures.
St Mary’s, Bath Having recently been welcomed into DCET, it is lovely that we can celebrate some of the highlights of our school year with you all. We started the year in September with Y2 – Y6 walking into Bath to take part in the Children’s Literature Festival. This year the children listened to some fantastic children’s authors such as Katherine Rundell, Adam Kay and Henry Parker, Cressida Cowell and Tom McLaughlin. Our Y5 and Y6 class also had a visit from the ‘I Can and I Am’ Bus which is a charity organisation who run workshops aimed at giving young people the tools to learn how to keep their ‘balloons of self-belief inflated’. The chaplaincy team were very busy in October helping to organise activities for ‘Little Ways Week’, leading the rosary in each class as part of the ‘Million Children Pray the Rosary’ and helping to collect food for the Genesis Trust foodbank in Bath as part of our harvest celebration. Christmas was nearing and what a busy time it was! The EYFS and KS1 children performed their nativity ‘Fleece Force’ and we were very lucky to have a very special visitor. The children in Y2 wrote to Bishop Bosco inviting him to their nativity and he excited us with a call to say he would be delighted. Our KS2 children participated in a beautiful carol service at the Church and the choir performed at the Pavilion in Bath at the WEMA Christmas concert. We ended the term with our Christingle service and our Carols around the Tree where we invited all members of our school community. The new year saw the start of a Jubilee Year and we celebrated the launch creating two incredible holy doors with every child producing a piece of artwork based on a biblical story. Later in the year, the KS2 children embarked on their own pilgrimage to St John’s Church in Bath to see the Jubilee Icon and the chaplaincy team took part in a Pilgrims of Hope Day at St Gregory’s with all the Camino schools. This is not the only time we have been lucky enough to spend some time with our Camino community as the Y5 children went off to Kilve for three days of activity, reflection and making of new friends. In May, we celebrated our Feast Day with a Mass said by Father Jeremy before we all set off up to the top of Kelston Roundhill to crown Our Lady. It was such a beautiful day to appreciate God’s wonderful creation from the views at the top and to spend time together having a picnic. The end of the year has continued to bring lots of enjoyment with many classes out on school trips, Y6 went on their residential to Cornwall, St Mary’s Games and sports days were competed in, fabulous performances at the music evening were heard and we look forward to the Y6 production of ‘Pirates of the Curry Bean’ Arrr! It’s been such an action-packed year with lots of fantastic opportunities that I think we all need a holiday to recover!
St Mary’s, Chippenham St Mary’s in Chippenham is filled with such warmth and this warmth radiates through our whole school community. This year has been a wonderful year, rich in opportunities and I am incredibly proud of all that our children and staff have achieved together. “All children of God, in one community, working together.” At the heart of our school is our mission to work together, as children of God and live out the Gospel values in everything that we do. From our daily prayers and liturgical celebrations to the way we care for one another, our faith remains at the heart of all we do. This year, our children have embraced opportunities to lead in worship, contribute to charitable efforts and deepen their understanding of what it means to live a life filled with stewardship and kindness. One of the most joyful aspects of this year has been seeing our children flourish. Whether in the classroom, on the playground, on school trips or even walking around the school, our pupils radiate a sense of happiness and belonging. We’ve seen excellent progress and our children do achieve well, but what is really wonderful is the fact that diversity is celebrated here and every child is valued and recognised for the person that they are. The staff at St Mary’s work tirelessly to create engaging, inclusive and inspiring environments for every child. Enrichment has been a key theme this year. We’ve enjoyed a range of exciting trips and visits: Parliament, Hampton Court Palace, Westonbirt, the Bristol Zoo Project, Young Voices, Bath Literature and Music Festivals, Clifton Cathedral and many local walks into Chippenham to embrace our wonderful locality including a recent Pilgrimage to support the Jubilee Year, living out our faith as Pilgrims of Hope. These experiences have opened our children’s eyes to the wider world and allowed them to see their learning come alive beyond the classroom. Another particular highlight was our recent Year 6 residential to Lee Abbey in Devon, where the children demonstrated resilience, teamwork and bags of courage - all while deepening friendships and making memories they’ll cherish forever. This year, children across the school have performed in musicals, class assemblies, music concerts, poetry slams and sports festivals. We have also welcomed visitors into our school, including authors, local community leaders, and of course, Msgr Keith, from St Mary’s Parish, who continues to be a presence in the life of the school. These connections remind us that our school is part of a much bigger family, alive in the local community. Looking back, it’s clear to see the growth that has taken place - not just in academic achievement, but in confidence, kindness and faith. St Mary’s really is a lovely place to be! I know that when we say goodbye to our Year 6s, we will do so with pride, knowing that they are ready to take the next step in their journey, guided by the light of Christ and the values we’ve nurtured together in their time at St Mary’s. Thank you to our dedicated staff, our supportive families, and, of course, our wonderful children for making this year so special. May God bless each of you during the summer break and bring us back refreshed and renewed for the year ahead.
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